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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · bay · branch · squash · bear · mine · spell · lash

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spell — magic
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bear — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com